Transmission gear and clutch mechanism



Jan. 30, 1923. 4

B. E. RICHARDSON.

TRANSMISSION GEAR AND CLUTCH MECHANISM.

ORIGINAL FILED NOV- 13. I918.

IN V EN TOR.

A TTOR NE VS.

Patenteddln. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES BAYARD E. RICHARDSON, OF GRAND-RAPIDS, KIOHIGAH, AQSIGHOBTO 1 GEAR SHIFT 00., 01 um]: RAPIDS, MICHIGAN; A GOEPORLTIOK OIMICHIGAN.

PATENT OFFICE.

TRANSHISSION GEAR AND CLUTCH Application filed November 18, 1910, lerlalR0. 262,884. Renewed June 80,1928. Jerlal Io. 878,088;

To all whom it may coat-em:

Be it known that I. Barium E. Rxcmmnson, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Grand Ra ids, in the county of Kent and State ofichigan, have invented certain new and useful Im movements inTransmission Gear and lutch Mechanism; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and' exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to a gear transmis sion' combined with. acooperating clutch mechanism, particularly adapted for use with a motorvehicle sliding gear transmission and one in which the strain impartedto the gears during the operation of changing the same from the drivinof the gears from the rear akle at the vehicle due to the momentum ofthe vehicle, is automatically eliminated by the action of the clutch.This is a primary'object and purpose of the invention and the inventionis concerned with a novel construction for accomplishing this result. Afurther object of the invention is to provide a clutch construction incombination with a sliding gear transmission which 'is of theover-running type so that the vehicle in which the transmission andclutch mechanism is installed, may run under its own momentum withoutaifecting, in any way, the transmission gearing, thus permitting thevehicle td coast down inclines and allow the motor'to run idle with aconsequent saving of fuel. A still further object of the invention istoprovide controlling means, readily operable by the driver of thevehicle, for rendering the over-running clutch inoperative, as isnecessary when a reverse movement of the vehicle is to he had. Stillfurther objects are to provide a novel and very sim ile construction ofclutch mechanism rea ily adaptable to sliding gear transmissions forattairment of the above described advantages, yet capable of many otherdifferent applications, the clutch in no way being limited to the oneuse. All of these features of novelty and utility will fully appear asunderstanding of the invention is had from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevatiomparts being broken away and shown in section,of a transmission of a motor vehicle equipped with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the transmissiongearing and associated clutch mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on the line 3-3, of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 4 is a plan'view of the clutch and associated control arm therefor,and

Fig. 5 is an end view thereof, from the right of Fig. 4.

. Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different viewsof the drawings.

\Vithin the transmission case 1 there are a.

main shaft 2, substantially square in cross section, and. a countershaft 3, the first of which shafts is in alinement with shaft 4 which isadapted to be driven from the engine of the motor vehicle with which thetransmission is associated. A series of gears 5 are mounted on theshafts 2, 3 and 4 in the usual and well known manner to make a selectivesliding gear transmission by means of which shaft 2 may bedriven atdifferent speeds with respect toshaft 4, in the present instance, threedifi'er'ent speeds in a forward direction and one in a reversedirection.

Adjacent the rear end: of the shaft 2 a short enlarged hexagonalextension is provided, being either formed integrally with shaft 2 orfixed thereon in any suitable manner. ing in a cylindrical rearextension 7 to a cup-like housing 8 which forms one member of the clutchand into which the hexagonal member 6 is inserted as shown. Theextension or neck 7 in turn has rotative bearing in a suitable bearing 9which is mounted in a casin r or housing member 10 for the clutch, saidmember 10 together with an annular rearwardly extending rib or flange 11cast integral with the transmission casing .l forming a housingcompletely enclosing the clutch.

Shaft 2 at each side of the hexagonal enlargement 6 thereof is formedwith somewhat enlarged short cylimlricai collars 12 around which front.and rear rings 13 and 14 are placed, having an outer diameter butslightly less than the inner diameter of the c utch member 8. Aplurality of rollers 15 are disposed between the rings l3 and it, onebetween each side of the hexagonal member 6 and the inner sides of themember 8. These rollers are freely rotatable between The rear end 2 ofshaft 2 has a bearthe rings 13 and t4 and of such size that tho salnoaro looso hotwoon tho middlo parts of tho sidos of tho hexagon hutoannot pass over tho oornors theroof.

oullar momhor 1a is slidahly mountod on tho squarod portion of shaft 2in front of tho olutoh and at its roar ond has an onlargod annular[tango 17. An arm 18 is tixod to tho front ring 13 projooting a shortdistant-o in front thoroof and thon turning at right anglos to mtlltt anarm 1!) whioh. normally. is rot'oirod in a notoh 2|) out in flango 17.()n tho transmission oaso l a small housing 21 is oast in whioh a rod 22is slidahh monntod. an arm :23 having a yoho at its innor oml to ongagowith tho oollar on momhor it) hoing fixod on said rod 22 and oxtondingthrough and into tho transmission oaso to oonnot't with tho oollar. lhofront portion of rod 22 passos a short distant-o through tho housing 21in front and a ooilod spring 24 intorposod hotwoon said housing and aoollar 25 at tho front ond of tho rod 22 has a normal tomlono to hringit to front position whorohy tho llango IT is in position snoh thatitsnotoh 2H roooiros tho arm 1!) as shown in Fig. 4*. ()n a pin 21$ tixodto and projooting from tho transmission raso l a holl-orank loror ispivotally monntod a down\\'ardl oxtomling arm :27 thoroof rostiingagainst tho front oml of tho rod 22 and a forwardly oxtomling arm 28hoing pii'otally oonnootod to a rortioal oporating har :59 'itlt'llpassos through tho floor of tho front oompartmont of tho motor rohirlo.This har has a notoh 2th in a sido thoroof whioh. in normal upporposition of tho har oomos ahoro a plato 31 in tho floor of thooompartmont. hut whioln on downward movomont of tho lHll' oomos dirootl)opposito tho plato so as to roooiro it in tho notoli. \vhorohy tho harmay ho hold in lowor position untit roloasod hy drawing tho samo hark atits uppor ond. 'l'ho hair 2!! may ho roadily doprossod h) tho foot oftho driror of tho \ohiolo with a oonsoipiont oomprossion of tho spring1H and movomont of llango 1T haolt of tho plano of tho arm 1!).

\Yhon tho shaft 2 is drivon h tho shaft 1 in tho samo dirootion with anyono of tho throo forward spoods. it is apparont that thoro is a tomlonofor tho oollar .m'nllwl' Hi to rotato away from tho arm 11) withmovomont of tho Ilango IT awa from tho oml of tho arm. This oausos thosidos of tho momhor t, to oomo against tho adjaoont rollors l5 whiohhoooming wodgod hotwoou aid sidos of tho momhor ti and tho innor sidosof tho momhor ransos a oonnooti n hotwoon tho two momhors ti and Piwhon-h) said momhor S is ill-iron. Tho oxtonsion to tho momhor H at thoroar is adaptod to |'Hlt noot in tho usual mannor with tho drivo shaftof a motor vohiolo it in turn driving tho roar axle. At the time ofshifting goal-s, tho driving olntoh hetweon tho ongino and transmissionis thrown out aml tho transmission is drivon, if at all, by tho roaraxle duo to tho momentum of the vohiolo. With my invontion. howovon anydriving moromont. from tho momontnm of the oar givon to tho outor olutohmomhor S is not transmittod to tho shaft 2 duo to tho fat-t that thofirst otfoot of such driving movomont is to roloaso tho rollers fromtheir wodgod position hotwoon the momhors t3 and 8 with a movomonttomling' to wodgo tho rollors again hotwoon said momhors hut at thoopposito sidos of tho mid points of tho faoos of tho hoxagonal. momhonwhioh movomont is ohookod as soon as tho olntoh momhors ti and H arofroo of oaoh othor by ongagomont of tho oml of tho arm 1!) against thoflango IT at tho oml of tho olongatod slot 20 thoro V v m. lho rollorsrto aro thorohy hold snhstant ially at tho middlos of tho faoos of thohoxagonal momhor t3 and tho ontor olutoh momhor 8 rolls t'rool thoroon.'lhis foaturo of oporation is also of groat valuo in that thotransmission goaring is loft ontiroly froo from any driving foroo whonthe goats aro ohangod. oliminating ontiroly any dostrnotivo foroo whontho goars aro hronght to gothor or any othor nndosirahlo strossos orstrains in tho goaring whon tho ohango of goars takos ])lilt't. .\nd itis partionlarlr valuahlo in oortain typos of goar shift moohanisms whorotho foroo of tho driving olutoh spring is made uso of to oauso tho shiftof goars aftor an oarlior solootion of tho goals to ho shiftod.

\Vhon tho oollar momhor It) is movod to tho roar, frooing t'lango ITfrom tho arm t9, tho olutoh momhors (i and 8 look togothor irrospootivoof whioh way tho shaft 2 is rotat ing. this following from tho romovalof tho stop whioh othorwiso would hold tho rollors 1:, at tho middlo oftho faros of tho momhor (5. With tho ooustrnotion as shown amldosorihod. this movomont of tho ooll'ar monihor It'i oooursautomatioally with tho shifting of tho roar sliding goar of thotransmission on shaft 2 to its oonnootion with tho rororso pinion. saidgoal ongagiug against momhor 16 and moving it far onough to the roar todisassooiato arm I!) from tho flange IT. This is an important foaturo oftho inrontion. as tho oonnootion of tho transmission shaft 2 and thodriro shaft of tho rohiolo must tako plaoo hoforo tho driving olutoh islot in to oonnoot tho transmission shaft with tho ongino, and thisautomatio ao- Lion following from tho lnoromont of a goar of thotransmission to rovorso til'tH position. insuros against any ahruptoonnootion of tho driving powor of tho ongino with tho (lliYU shaft oftho \ohiolo. lho oonstiuotiou dosorihod whorolrv tho niomhors of thooiutoh may ho connootod at tho will of the driver of ing located ateaclt side the vehicle irrespective of thedirection of turning. movementof the transmission shaft or drive shaft of the vehicle, is of value,for instance, when the vehicle is going down a steep grade and it isdesired to usethe engine as a brake or check against too rapid movementof the vehicle, as well understood by all drivers ofmotor vehicles. Witha clutgh of the construction described, the means for permittingthelocking together of the clutch members, irrespective of theirrotative movemeiit 1s a necessary addition in motor vehicleconstruction, as otherwise the inner clutch member and rollers at itsfaces would merely turn within the outer clutch member when attem tedreverse movement of the vehicle took p ace. 4

The construction is very simple and practica'l. It has been used inactual practice and has proven of great value and practicall serviceablein. all respetxs. There are, don tless, other relations in which'theclutch may he used, and I, accordingly, do not wish the invention to belimited to the specific disclosure made but consider myself entitled toall modifications in construction comin within the scope of the appendedclaims definin the invention.

I c aim:

1. In combination, a shaft, on inner clutch member thereon comprising amember having a lurality of'faoes located at an angle to ca other, saidclutch member having a. short collar at each side thereof slightlylarger in diameter than the diameter of the shaft, a ring looselymounted on each collar, a plurality of rollers'rotatably mounted on andbetween the rings, one of said rollers beof the said clutch member, anouter clutch member having a cylindrical inner surface, into which outerc utch'member the inner member, rings and rollers are inserted with thecorners of the inner memberspaoed from the inner surface of the outermember a distance less than the I diameters of the rollers, and meansfor turning the rings and connected rollers with'the shaft in onedirection of its turning movement but not in the other whereby theclutch members are free to move with respect to each other when theshaft is turned in one direction and the outer clutch member in the.

opposite direction, but locked together when the turning movements arein the reverse directions, substantially as described.

2. -A construction containing the elements in combination claimed inclaim 1, combined with means for rendering the ring turning meansinoperative whereby the clutch 'mem bers arelocked together irrespectiveof the direction of turning movements thereof.

3, In combination, a shaft, an inner clutch member thereon, an outerclutch member located outside of the inner member, said inner memberhaving a plurahty: of faces disposed cylindrical mner surface,

-Inission. including a shaft at an angle to each other, a ring at eachend of the inner member, rollers rotatably mounted on and between therings, a roller ing positioned at each face of the inner clutch memberand of a diameter rohibiting the passage of the roller past t eadjacigit corners of said member, a collar slida I one of said rings,and a member attached to said ring and extending into said notch at oneend thereof substantially as and for the purposes descri ed.

In combination, a shaft, an inner clutch member having a plurality offaces positioned at an angle to each other, an outer clutch memberwithin which the inner memher is located, said outer member having a aring at each end of the inner memher, a lurality of rollers rotatablymounted on an betweenthe rings, one adjacent each face of the innermember and of a size prohibiting the passage thereof between thecornersof said inner member and the outer member, a collar splincd on the shaftand provided with a' flange having an elongated notch therein, a member1 jectin from the ring adjacent said co er and an e and adapted to enterthe notch in the' rings so as to strike against the flange when theshaft is rotated in one direction and hold the rollers at substantiallymid position with respect to the faces of the inner member, and means tomove said collar to render said engagement of said member on the ringwith the flange ineffective. substantially as described.

, i In combinatiorn a sliding gear transmission including a shaft andgearing whereby the shaft may be driven in a forward direction atdifferent ds and also in a reverse direction, said sha being adapted todrive the driving shaft of a motor vehicle, 0. clutch disposed at therear end of the shaft and between it and the driving shaft 0 the vehicleand including means for mounted on the shaft and provided Wit a flangewith a notch therein adjacent 6. In combination, a sliding gear transandgearing whereby the shaft may be drivendn a forward direction atdifferent speeds and also in a reverse direction, a casing housmgthesame, a clutch disposed at the rear end of the transmission shaft andoperative to coninoperative position whereby the transmis-,

sion and drive shafts are. connected together irrespective of thedirections of their turning movements. a

7.. In combination, a sliding geartransmission including a shaft andgearin where by the shaft may be driven in a orward direction atdifferent speeds and also in a reverse direction, a clutch member at therear end of the transmission shaft, a second clutch member rotatablymounted at the rear of the transmission gearing and receiving the firstclutch member, acasing enclosing the transmission gear-in and shaft andsai clutch members, means disposed between the clutch members forlocking them together, a member splined on the transmission shaftadjacent the clutch, means interposed-between said member and the clutchmember locking means for rendering the locking of the clutch membersinoperative when the shaft is turned in a reverse direction or the rearclutch member in a forward direction, a rod slidably mounted at one sideof the transmission casing an arm thereon connected with the membersplined on the transmission shaft, sprin means normally holding themember on t e shaft and said interposed means between it and the clutchin engagement, and means for moving the rod ,and attached member to aninoperative position whereby the clutch members are locked together onreverse movement of the transmission shaft, substantially as described.

8. A construction containing the elements in combination claimed inclaim 7, in' which said last mentioned means tor moving the rodcomprises a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted at one side of thetransmission casnormally connecting the shafts together, and

means movably mounted on the transmission shaft an operativelyassociated with the clutch to disconnect driving relation between thetransmission shaft and drive shaft.

when the transmission shaft is turnedin a reverse direction or thedriving shaft in the opposite direction, said means on the transmissionshaft being automatically eng ed by a sliding gear of the transmission wen it is moved to reverse drive position where by said. clutchdisconnecting means is moved 'to inoperative position with respect tothe clutch, and the shafts are connected together irrespective of theirdirections of rotative movement. k

10. In combination with a transmimion gearing including sliding arswhereby a plurality of forward specie and a reverse speed may be had,"ofa clutch driven by the transmissiomsaid clutch including'two membersand a means disposed between them' normally acting to lock the memberstogether, and means amociiiited with the clutch acting normally toprevent connection of the clutch members when the transmission isoperating at reverse speed, said last mentioned means-beingautomatically moved to inoperative position with the movement of thesliding gear of the transmission gearing to position to effect reversespeed, substantial y as described; i In testimony whereof I a ture.

BAYARD E. RICHARDSON.

my signa-

